Foot protector



M. LE DoRF' 2,038,844

I April 28,1936,

FOOT PROTECTOR Filed Nov. 8, 1933 Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFlCE FOOT PROTECTOR Marlda Le Dorf, Long Beach, N. Y. Application November 8, 1933, Serial No. 697,185

2 Claims.

My invention relates to articles of footwear such as form the subject. of my Patent No. 1,830,471 issued November 3, 1931.

Such an article is of a form and dimension if shoes are worn without any socks or stockings, thedirect contact of the flesh of the foot with the shoe lining is objectionable because of the discomfort and even possible cutting or laceration of the skin or flesh from the shoe lining.

By my present invention, I secure important advantages in such an article of footwear and which I have discovered are important to be secured from the commercial exploitation of the invention of my patent and which are desirable to give it to enable it to meet certain exacting requirements as to the article itself to enable it to fill the real need that I have found to exist for such an article. The characteristics both structurally and functionally of an article of footwear which will achieve the object of my invention will be understood from the detailed description thereof hereinafter set forth. While an article embodying my invention may be worn with a shoe without the conventional or customary stocking so that the legs of the wearer above the top of the shoe will be bare, an article embodying my invention may also be used with or to supplement the conventional stocking.

My invention consists in Whatever is described by or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, I illustrate an embodiment of my invention I have found most satisfactorily to achieve the purposes thereof, and in such drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of such embodiment of my invention as it appears when upon the foot of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it when off the foot and in the collapsedand fiat form in which it may be exhibited for sale;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a blank out of which the article may be made.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that my guard or protector, when off the foot, consists essentially of two similar flat sides, 10, that normally lie or tend to lie flatupon one another which have convexly rounded edges at toe and heel and whose edges at the toe and heel portions and at the bottom or sole portion are united, the top edges between toe and heel portions being disconnected and providing an opening for the insertion of the foot of the wearer. Preferably the article is made from a single piece of suitable thin, light, soft material such as textile fabrics of silk, wool, cotton or combinations thereof, 5 and at the toe and heel portions there is a line of stitching that forms a seam II, and between the termination of the seam at the sole or bottom, the connection between the two sides is integral.

It is of great importance that an article such 10 as mine, shall lie snugly and smoothly without any ridges or creases over the surface of the foot of the wearer, and this. is of especial importance at the toe and to secure the snug, close fit, especially at the toe portion of the foot, the fabric 15 is at such portion cut. or formed on the bias, and that causes such portion in itself or automatically to snugly and closely conform to the contour of the foot. To illustrate this in the drawing, there are obliquely extending lines l3 which indicate the direction of the threads, due to the bias arrangement. 7

It was found, when the stitches at the top edge are hand-sewed that due to inherent or natural elasticity, the article possessed resistance to ch 25 jectionable permanent elongation or stretching, as a result of washing. However, when machine stitching is used and, of course, that is important in connection with commercial production, it has been found that the threads lose elasticity-and the article as a result of washing stretches objectionably. I found that this objectionable loss of elasticity and stretching may be resisted, and as well be supplied a nice finished appearance to the top edge that defines the opening, by applying to such edge entirely around the opening, an

- elastic band or cord [4. This may be advantageously secured in place by overstitching I 5. The ends of the elastic cord or band are brought together at the top of the back seam II. By this elastic and, of course; normally contracted band, a close, snug fit is secured entirely around the foot fromheel to toeand it is possible for the article to be complete without any supplemental 45 lining or ply, which is objectionable not only as adding to the cost of manufacture but adding thickness and stiffness when it is important that wherever contact with the flesh or skin is had,- there shall be a soft or pliable covering such ascomes from the use as in the most satisfactory embodiment of my invention, of a single ply or layer of fabric throughout the entire article. At every point around the opening edge, the structure, because it is yieldable throughout, is subhalves A.

Each halt provides one side from heel to toe, the contour at the toe l2, being substantially oval and at the heel being more bluntly rounded to give the form for snugly fitting over the heel of the wearer and to reach forward at what is the upper edge or the article an extent to hook over or overhang the heel of the wearer. Opposite edges of the blank between the toe and heel portions are formed on a regular line which includes a substantially straight portion at the ,heel, a concave portion intermediate heel and toe, and a convex portion that merges in the toe contour so that as shown in Fig. l, the finished article has a continuously smooth edge from heel to toe and such edge is such distance above the sole of the foot when the article is worn that it corresponds substantially or approximately to the upper edge of the conventional low shoe.

This application is a continuation in part of my application No. 575,892, iiled November 18, 1931.

What I claim is: r

1. An article of footwear to be worn inside a shoe with or without a stocking, said article being of textile fabric with portions to cover the sole, sides, heel and toe of the foot or the wearer and having at least the toe covering portion with the i'abric on the bias, and including similar opposite side members symmetrically placed on the same side of a line that extends from toe to heel at the transverse center of the sole and terminating at the top in an edge that extends substantially in a regular unbroken line from heel to toe, such edge defining an opening for the passage 01' the foot of the wearer and said members from toe to heel adapted when of! the foot to lie flatwise upon one another with the surfaces between said line that extends from toe to heel and said top edge lying respectively in abutting parallel planes.

2. An article of toot-wear to be worn inside a shoe with or without a stocking, said article being of textile i'abric and having portions to cover the sole, sides, heel and toe of the foot of the wearer,

and including similar, opposite side members toe to heel, when the article is oil the foot, hav- 

